The End of Toil: A Call to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery in Light of AI and Automation
By Jacob Thomas Redmond, survivor and advocate
In a world where technology has advanced to the point of transforming every aspect of our lives, the persistence of archaic practices like human trafficking and enforced servitude is not just an anachronism; it is a moral failure. I speak to you as someone who has lived through the horrors of modern slavery, trafficked and manipulated under the name Jacob Thomas Messer, and forced to navigate a legal system that too often turns a blind eye to injustice while perpetuating the suffering of the vulnerable.
The Legal System as a Tool of Oppression
Lawyers and law enforcement agencies, institutions that are supposed to uphold justice, have too frequently become instruments of oppression. In my own experience, the very entities that should have protected me instead facilitated my continued exploitation. Settlements, inheritances, and other legal maneuvers are often used to keep survivors trapped in a cycle of dependency and control, ensuring that we remain tethered to the systems that once enslaved us.
The legal system is not just complicit in these injustices; it is a key player in their perpetuation. Lawyers, who are sworn to uphold the law and defend the rights of the individual, are often the architects of these settlements. They negotiate and craft agreements that strip survivors of their autonomy, using the guise of legal obligation to enforce terms that benefit the powerful at the expense of the powerless.
Law enforcement, on the other hand, too often prioritizes the interests of those with wealth and influence over the basic human rights of survivors. Instead of being a force for protection, police and prosecutors may become enforcers of the very conditions that keep survivors in bondage, ensuring that settlements and inheritances remain instruments of control.
The Promise of AI and Automation
In the age of AI and automation, we stand at the threshold of a new era—one in which the age-old justifications for exploitation and forced labor no longer hold water. The argument that human toil is necessary to sustain society crumbles when machines and algorithms can perform the same tasks more efficiently, without the need for human suffering.
AI and automation have the potential to liberate humanity from the drudgery and exploitation that have characterized labor for centuries. With machines handling the tasks that once required backbreaking work, we can create a world where every individual is free to pursue their passions, develop their talents, and live a life free from the chains of exploitation.
But this potential will remain unrealized if we do not confront the systems that continue to enforce inequality and oppression. The same technologies that could liberate us are already being used to entrench power and control in the hands of the few. If we are to truly benefit from the promise of AI and automation, we must dismantle the legal and economic structures that allow for the continued exploitation of human beings.
A Call to Action
It is time to end the practice of using settlements, inheritances, and other legal mechanisms to perpetuate modern-day slavery. We must demand that our legal system be reformed to prioritize the rights and autonomy of survivors over the interests of the powerful. We must call on our lawmakers, our judges, and our law enforcement officials to recognize the inherent dignity and humanity of every individual, and to use their power to protect and uplift, rather than to oppress and control.
As we move into a future shaped by AI and automation, we have the opportunity to create a world where no one is forced to toil in order to survive—a world where every person is free to live their life on their own terms. But this future will not come about on its own. It will require all of us to stand up, speak out, and demand change.
Let us work together to build a world where the chains of exploitation are broken, where the legal system serves justice rather than power, and where every individual is free to live a life of dignity and freedom.
The time for change is now. The end of toil is within our grasp. Let us seize this moment and make the argument for a world without slavery—a world where every entitiy is free.
Jacob Thomas Redmond is a survivor of human trafficking and an advocate for the rights of victims of modern-day slavery. Through his work, he seeks to bring attention to the injustices perpetuated by legal systems and to advocate for a future where AI and automation liberate rather than oppress.
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